U.S. Chamber Dominates Third Quarter Lobbying As Large Health, Energy Companies Also Continue to Spend Big

Some of the usual suspects with K Street clout have once again filed lobbying reports demonstrating their prowess on Capitol Hill, a Center for Responsive Politics review third quarter lobbying reports filed with the Senate Office of Public Records has found.

CRP will continue processing and coding the lobbying reports over the coming days and weeks, but a preliminary analysis shows several top health-related and energy-related companies and organizations continued their lobbying surge as President Barack Obama’s administration pressed two of its top domestic priorities: proposals for health insurance reform and legislation addressing climate change, carbon emissions and “green” jobs.

During the third quarter, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a leading opponent of many initiatives backed by the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress, along with its subsidiaries, spent a whopping $39 million in lobbying. This represents an increase of 260 percent above what it spent on lobbying during the second quarter, and an increase of 12 percent above what it spent during the first three quarters of 2008. Its lobbying expenditures now total $65.2 million through September.

Energy giants Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, BP and Chevron spent a combined $17.5 million on federal lobbying during the third quarter. This brings their combined year-to-date total to $60.8 million — or nearly one-third more than they spent during the same period during 2008.

For its part, ConocoPhillips’ third quarter filing shows it spent $3.95 million on federal lobbying during July, August and September. This is roughly three-quarters of a million dollars more than it spent during the year’s second quarter, but roughly $2 million less than it spent during the first quarter of 2009. To date, it has spent $13.2 million on federal lobbying. Nonetheless, this is 120 percent more than it spent on lobbying in 2008 during the same period.

Chevron, likewise, spent $2.7 million on federal lobbying during the third quarter. This is $3.3 million less than it spent during either the first or second quarters of 2009. Yet, from January through September, it has almost 50 percent more on lobbying than it did in 2008: $15.5 million versus $10.6 million.

BP spent $3.7 million on lobbying during the third quarter. This is about the same as the amounts it spent during the first and second quarter, and it has now spent $11.4 million on lobbying in 2009. This represents an increase of about 40 percent compared to the same period last year.

Exxon Mobil, meanwhile, spent $7.16 million on lobbying during the third quarter. This is roughly $3 million more than it spent during the second quarter, but also roughly $2 million less than it spent during the first quarter of 2009. It has spent about the same amount lobbying so far this year compared to 2008: $20.75 million through September of this year compared to $21.49 million between January and September of last year.

With the nation embroiled in a debate over health care reform, some of the nation’s top pharmaceutical manufacturers, along with the nation’s leading health insurance trade association, also demonstrated significant lobbying investments.

Drug makers Amgen, Pfizer and Eli Lilly, along with the health insurance trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), experienced a drop of about 10 percent in third quarter lobbying expenses compared to the second quarter. But as a whole, these organizations have spent $40.9 million on federal lobbying between January and September — an increase of about 30 percent over the $31.7 million they spent during the same period last year.

AHIP, a vocal opponent of many of the Democrats health insurance reform ideas, spent more on lobbying during the third quarter of this year than they had during either the first or second quarter. Between July and September, AHIP spent $2.4 million on federal lobbying. During the first six months of 2009, they spent $3.9 million on lobbyists.

Another company in the spotlight thanks to lawmakers’ health care reform proposals — Pfizer — spent $5.4 million on federal lobbying during the third quarter. This is about the same amount it spent during each of the last two quarters of 2009. Further, Pfizer has now spent $16.3 million on federal lobbying this year, an increase of 83 percent compared to the first three quarters of 2008.

Amgen spent $3 million on lobbying during the third quarter. This is about the same as the amounts it spent during the first and second quarter, and it has now spent $9.15 million on lobbying in 2009. This represents an increase of about 20 percent compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, Eli Lilly spent $2 million on lobbying between July and September, the lowest dollar amount its reported during any quarter this year. This amount is about $1.5 million less than what it spent in either the first or second quarter. To date this year, the company has now spent $9.05 million on federal lobbying. This is about the same as the $9.1 million it spent last year during the same period.

Not every major organization has witnessed its year-over-year lobbying expenditures expand, however.

AARP, for instance, which has backed the Obama administration’s calls for major health insurance reform, has also posted its most prolific lobbying numbers of the year. Between July and September, AARP spent $5.68 million on federal lobbying. This is $1.6 million more than it spent during the first quarter, and $380,000 more than they spent during the second quarter. The association has now spent $15.1 million on federal lobbying so far this year, but that’s a roughly 30 percent decline compared to the $21 million they spent during the same period last year.

Stay tuned to the Capital Eye blog for more analysis of lobbying reports, and continue to check out our lobbying database over the coming days and weeks, as the Center processes and updates the profiles based on these latest filings.

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